Coleman and Dunne a disgrace to health portfolios

Continuing evasion of fluoridation issues by Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne are a miserable dereliction of their duty to the public, according to Democrats for Social Credit Party health spokesman David Tranter.

A recent letter to Dr. Coleman raising several major concerns about fluoridation was referred to Mr. Dunne, a tactic which the Health Minister employs regarding all correspondence on this subject.

Mr. Dunne’s response was a classic version of the misleading and inaccurate propaganda which the pro-fluoridation lobby typically employs, Mr. Tranter said.

His response to my follow-up letter raising seven statements from his letter which I disputed was replied to by Mr Dunne’s private secretary as follows:

“The Minister has noted your further comments, and that you have a strongly held view that is divergent from the Government’s position on this matter. The Minister has nothing further to add to his previous correspondence on this issue”.

Either Mr. Dunne hasn’t a clue about fluoridation or he’s simply toe-ing the same line of political dogma which ignores any evidence challenging the fluoridation agenda, Mr. Tranter said.

This episode recalls other letters sent to ministers such as to the previous Health Minister Tony Ryall and Finance Minister Bill English asking why building works loans to DHBs aren’t funded at zero interest through the Reserve Bank instead of the ludicrous practice of arranging loans through commercial banks at high interest rates. After questioning the evasive reply that this is not government policy, I was advised that this correspondence was “closed”.

Now the Health Minister is hiding behind the Associate Health Minister – who has nothing further to say when asked questions he will not, or cannot, answer.

The only logical conclusion is that this government and its predecessors, are unable to give sensible reasons for major policies, Mr. Tranter said.